torturous vs tortuous

This is one that I have to look up every time. I think that if I think of "torturous" as being "like torture" it will help. We'll see. If I can't remember, I can at least look it up.

Punctuating Dialogue

One thing that I see OFTEN done incorrectly is the punctuation of dialog, especially quotes that extend over multiple paragraphs. This page has good, straightforward guidelines for punctuating dialog. Pay special attention to the "Multi-Paragraph Quotes" section about half-way down the page.

Punctuating Dialogue

Aunt Hazel Bread (a.k.a. Kuchen)

This is a delicious bread that my Aunt Hazel always made for family dinners & breakfast for special occassions like Easter and Thanksgiving morning. You can leave the dough plain and make into dinner rolls or regular bread. You can also roll the dough out and spread it with butter, cinnamon, sugar, etc., roll it up, and bake it as loaves or cut into rolls. Either way it's delicious. Don't skip the nutmeg. It seems weird, but it gives the bread a certain je ne sais quoi.

As with my other recipes, let me know if you make the bread and what you think of it.

- TM

***


Aunt Hazel Bread

2 c. milk
6 T. butter
1/2 c. + 1 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. nutmeg
7 1/2-8 c. flour
2 pkgs. yeast
2 eggs

Scald milk.  Add butter, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, and nutmeg

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water with 1 teaspoon sugar.  Stir 4 cups flour into milk mixture.  Add yeast, eggs, and vanilla; beat well.  Add enough extra flour to make non-sticky dough.  Let rise to double bulk (about 1 hour).  Gently fold to remove air; let rise second time.

Remove from bowl and knead on a floured surface until not sticky.

For rolls:

Preheat oven to 375.  Form dough into rolls and put into appropriately sized pan.  Bake until light brown, about 25 minutes.

For bread:

Preheat oven to 350.  Form dough into loaves and put into loaf pans.  Bake until light brown and hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom.

For cinnamon bread:

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll dough into slightly less than 1/2-inch thickness.  Spread with softened butter.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Raisins, dates, or nuts are optional.  Roll like a jelly roll.  Place in loaf pans.  Bake until light brown, about 30 minutes.

My first one-shot

My first one-shot is now posted under my fanfiction.net profile. It was written for the 30 Days of Emmett compilation. The story is called Hiking, and is a Rosalie/Emmett story. If you get a chance, have a read & let me know what you think.

- TM

Peanut Butter Balls

This is my grandma's recipe, and I haven't made them in eons, hence the notes about "maybe you should do this." Anyway, enjoy. Let me know if you make them and how they turned out.

TM

****

1 med. jar chunky peanut butter (sorry I don't have a more precise measurement. You know how old recipes are.)

1 stick margarine (I'm sure butter would work as well)

1 lb. confectioner's sugar

3 cups Rice Krispies

6 oz. chocolate chips

1 large Hershey bar

1/4 bar paraffin wax

Form peanut butter, margarine, sugar and Rice Krispies into balls (I'm assuming mix them first?). Melt chocolate chips, Hershey bar, and praffin wax over a double boiler.  Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate mixture. Place on waxed paper to cool. Store in covered container.

Cocoa Mints

Cocoa Mints

My grandma's recipe. These are a little time-consuming, but awesome.

Serving size: 60 cookies

3/4 c. butter
1 c. sifted sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt
2 c. sifted flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
3/4 c. cocoa
1/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 325.  Cream butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt thoroughly. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and cocoa together 3 times (yes, really, 3 times). Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Mix well. Using a cookie press fitted with a sawtooth plate, press onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes.

When cookies come out, cut into cookies about 1 1/2" long.  Frost one cookie on the flat side and top with another cookie, forming sandwich cookies. For these cookies, mint-flavored frosting should be used (frosting recipe below).

Cookies can be made like standard ice box cookies, or dough may be packed in 6-oz. juice cans, frozen, then sliced & baked.

Powdered Sugar Icing

2 c. confectioner's sugar
4 T. unsalted butter
3-4 T. milk
1 t.  vanilla
1/8 t. salt

In medium bowl, beat together, at medium speed, sugar and butter. Add milk, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth. If necessary, correct consistency with additional powdered sugar or liquid of choice (milk, dry sherry, rum, coffee, etc.). Add food coloring and flavoring, if desired. (For Cocoa Mints, add peppermint flavoring to taste.)

To store, cover the surface with a sheet of plastic wrap. Keeps for up to three days at room temperature or up to three weeks refrigerated. Or freeze up to six months. Soften and stir or beat until smooth before using.

Creamy Delicata Squash Soup

I'm not a fan of winter squash at all. However, we belong to a CSA (community supported agriculture), and we get a lot of winter squash at the end of the season, so I'm always looking for ways to cook it that my family and I will like. This soup is really good, and uses up a few of the squash. It calls for Delicata squash, but any kind of winter squash will work.

Delicata Creamy Squash Soup

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (you can substitute fat free evaporated milk to lower the fat)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Place the squash, cut sides down, in a baking dish. Add 1/8 inch water in baking dish, cover with foil and bake 35-40 minutes or until tender. Cool.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until onion is softened but not brown.
3. Scrape the squash out of the flesh and add to onions. Add the stock and heavy cream. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, about 25 minutes.
4. Puree the soup in a blender or food processor, or use an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.